Proposed School Budget for FY08 to be Lean

When Superintendent Lois Berlin presents her proposed budget to the Falls Church City School Board tomorrow night, she’ll deliver a plan that reflects three harsh realities:  a decrease in federal grant funding, a decrease in state sales tax revenue and a decrease in local property tax revenue due to a flat real estate market.  To compensate for that, Dr. Berlin said administrators made some tough choices in order to develop a budget that supports the school board’s strategic plan and addresses the needs of all students.

“This budget was developed with the recognition that keeping to a 3.5% increase was a target,” Berlin said.  “I want to commend our building principals, their administrative teams and staffs, our directors and our assistant superintendents for their concerted efforts to stick to this amount and to see how existing resources could be reprogrammed to address current and critical needs.”

Dr. Berlin’s budget address will take place during the regular school board meeting on Tuesday, January 9 at 7:30 p.m. at the Chambers at City Hall.  The meeting is open to the public.  The address can also be seen live on Falls Church Community Television (FCC-TV) and will be rebroadcast on the following dates and times:

• Monday – Friday at 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. through January 31.
• January 11 at 1:00 p.m.
• January 14 at 3:00 p.m.
• January 15 at 12:30 p.m.
• January 18 at 1:00 p.m.
• January 21 at 3:00 p.m.

FCC-TV airs on Cox Channel 12, Starpower/RCN Channel 2 and Verizon Channel 35.

Once the superintendent presents the budget proposal, the school board will hold a series of work sessions and public hearings before sending its proposed budget plan to the Falls Church City Council for final approval.  The budget dates are:

• *January 11 – School Board Work Session – Topic:  School board vision and budget process, 7:00 p.m., MEHMS
• January 20 – Budget Work Session, 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., MEHMS
• January 23 – Public Hearing on Budget, 7:30 p.m., City Hall
• February 3 – Budget Work Session, 8:00 a.m., MEHMS
• February 13 – Public Hearing on Budget, 7:30 p.m., City Hall
• February 20 – Pubic Hearing on Budget, 7:00 p.m., MEHMS
• February 27 – School Board Meeting – Budget Vote, 7:30 p.m., City Hall

*Members of the public may attend budget work sessions as observers. 

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